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Covid-19: Deep sea fishing to resume from September 1 in Mangaluru

Last Updated 30 July 2020, 11:22 IST

Fishermen in Mangaluru will resume deep-sea fishing from September 1 although the ban on fishing season ends on July 31. However, the Covid-19 situation has made them postpone deep sea fishing.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the representatives of fishermen leaders. The fishermen felt the postponing of deep-sea fishing was necessary to check the spread of Covid-19.

The meeting was attended by representatives from all areas of the fisheries sector including boat owners, fish traders, export firms, and fish meal industries. Trawl Boat Owners Association president Nithin Kumar said, “we discussed various issues including bringing back the migrant labourers. who are the mainstay of this commercial activity, from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal. After the lockdown, all the labourers had returned to their native places. About 75% of the labourers in the fishing sector are from outside the state.”

He said the stakeholders will meet the officials from the fisheries department and discuss the issue of arranging transportation and quarantine facilities for the migrant labourers. "A plan of action will be submitted shortly,” he said.

There is a need to chalk out plans to ensure social distancing at the old port and auction yard once the deep sea fishing commences. “It is difficult to carry out fish business and maintain social distancing during this pandemic. In case the Old Port is sealed after a fisherman tests positive, then the fishermen will incur a huge loss,” the fishermen said.

The fisheries department officials had advised that they ensure at least 25% of the boats that leave for fishing return back to the port on the same day. In reality, it is not possible. The boats that go for deep-sea fishing will have eight to 10 members in it. They return with the catch only after 10 days. The mechanised boats will return to the port after three days of fishing. Only a few purse seine boats return on the same day after the catch.

The traditional fishing boats will resume fishing on a full scale from August 1. The fishing ban is implemented to allow the breeding of fish along the coast from June 1 to July 31. Due to Covid-19, this year, the fishing ban started from June 15 to July 31. The reckless fishing during monsoon will adversely affect fish catch after the fishing season resumes. The last fishing season was not good for the fishermen. They were caught in Okhi, Kyarr and Maha cyclones and lost several days of fishing. Further, the lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19 has also impacted the fishing season.

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(Published 30 July 2020, 11:08 IST)

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